https://www.engineeringnews.co.za
Africa|Business|DIGITALISATION|Efficiency|Energy|Engineering|Financial|Flow|Industrial|Manufacturing|Measurement|Mining|Power|PROJECT|Projects|Renewable Energy|Renewable-Energy|Sensors|System|Systems|Technology|Wireless|Flow|Manufacturing
Africa|Business|DIGITALISATION|Efficiency|Energy|Engineering|Financial|Flow|Industrial|Manufacturing|Measurement|Mining|Power|PROJECT|Projects|Renewable Energy|Renewable-Energy|Sensors|System|Systems|Technology|Wireless|Flow|Manufacturing
africa|business|DIGITALISATION|efficiency|energy|engineering|financial|flow-company|industrial|manufacturing|measurement|mining|power|project|projects|renewable-energy|renewable-energy-company|sensors|system|systems|technology|wireless|flow-industry-term|manufacturing-industry-term

Energy industry steadily embracing digitalisation, 4IR

13th November 2018

By: Marleny Arnoldi

Deputy Editor Online

     

Font size: - +

Internet traffic data has grown from 2 TB in 1987 to 1.1 zettabytes, or 1.1 ZB, in 2017, meaning digitalisation is already upon us, and not a distant dream, said national Cleaner Production Centre industrial energy efficiency project manager Alfred Hartzenburg.

Speaking at the South African Energy Efficiency Confederation conference, on Tuesday, he said digital analytics enabled the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) to comfortably enter the energy industry or energy-intensive industries, introducing cyberphysical systems, three-dimensional printing, industrial robotics, artificial intelligence and pervasive sensing. 

For example, the energy industry has embraced digitalisation through the use of smart metering, which provides real-time and automated responses to anomalies in an electric network.

Additionally, wind farms are using digital twinning technology in their development.

Energy data management systems have evolved from permanent fixed connections between meters and stations, to wireless connected meters and remote analysis of information, said Hartzenburg.

“We are witnessing a multidirectional and highly integrated flow of power in both directions, resultantly having a quick response to demand changes. Traditional, linear energy supply chains are changing to multidirectional supply chains that feed into each other.”

Hartzenburg noted that industrial energy efficiency projects in South Africa have saved 4.2 TWh between 2011 and 2017, effectively mitigating 3.8-million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.

Meanwhile, Tshwane University of Technology power engineering Professor Ognyan Dintchev said that, at the beginning of the (4IR), oil is no longer the most vital resource, with data playing that role.

“The Internet of Things (IoT) and data analytics are the most significant emerging technologies of 4IR, having a disruptive and transformational effect to every industry, including energy management (EM) and related energy efficiency (EE), as well as measurement and verification (M&V), around the world,” he explained.

EM, EE and M&V are closely linked with the top five disruptive technologies driving growth today, including cloud computing, mobile devices, apps and e-commerce, IoT, renewable energy and artificial intelligence.

With efficient energy operation in a 4IR world, Dintchev said an energy management business intelligence system (EMBIS), which is a data-driven support structure, is necessary.

EMBIS comprises activities including online analytical processing, analytics, data mining, reporting, business/project/financial/performance management, predictive analytics and prescriptive analytics.

“EMBIS is the way forward, in addition to an EM,” said Dintchev, adding that data gathering uses smart meters, sensors and thermostats, working together with data leverage through, for example, cloud computing.

He added that, to ensure green manufacturing and to achieve the desired level of energy consumption awareness and efficiency improvements – essential within 4IR – energy use should be measured in more detail and linked to production data.

Therefore, real-time monitoring of energy consumption is essential.

Edited by Chanel de Bruyn
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor Online

Comments

Showroom

SBS Tanks
SBS Tanks

SBS® Tanks is a leading provider of innovative water security solutions with offices in Southern Africa, East and West Africa, the USA and an...

VISIT SHOWROOM 
Aqs image
AQS Liquid Transfer

AxFlow AQS Liquid Transfer (Pty) Ltd is an Importer and Distributor of Pumps in Southern Africa

VISIT SHOWROOM 

Latest Multimedia

sponsored by

Photo of Martin Creamer
On-The-Air (15/03/2024)
15th March 2024 By: Martin Creamer

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION







sq:0.076 0.124s - 139pq - 2rq
Subscribe Now